Gay men will be able to get prepped for PrEP at a special community forum in Sydney in September featuring world renowned San Francisco based HIV expert Professor Robert Grant.

PrEP, which stands for pre exposure prophylaxis, is a daily pill that HIV negative people can take to prevent HIV infection, and it’s the latest weapon in the fight against HIV. It’s helping revolutionise HIV prevention in Sydney’s sister city San Francisco, with new infections falling to the lowest numbers there since the start of the epidemic.

It’s yet to be approved for use in Australia, but some gay men here are already importing it from overseas and local HIV organisations are advocating for the drug to be made available to gay men in Australia as soon as possible.

To help gay men and clinicians better understand the medical, sexual and social implications of PrEP, HIV organisations ACON and the Australian Society of HIV Medicine are presenting PrEp: A Tale Of Two Cities at the Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst in Sydney on Monday 21 September.

Prof. Robert Grant, who was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 for his ground breaking research into PrEP, will be the forum’s keynote guest and will join a panel of local GPs, HIV educators and PrEP users.

ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill says the forum will provide gay men with essential information about PrEP: “Lots of gay men are eager for information about PrEP, and when it’s approved for use here it will play a vital role in the success of our HIV prevention efforts in NSW. This forum will provide a valuable perspective on how PrEP is being used in San Francisco, what lessons we can learn from their experience and how we’re progressing with its introduction here in Australia.”

ASHM Director and high HIV caseload clinician Dr Mark Bloch is encouraging local GPs to attend: “PrEP provides an important new HIV prevention option and it’s vital that GPs understand the benefits as well as the limitations of the drug and its regimen. Prof. Grant is one of the world’s leading experts on PrEP and his insights, as well as those of the other panellists, will help improve our understanding of PrEP and its implications for both patients and health care providers.”

Light refreshments will be served after the forum.

WHAT: PrEP: A Tale Of Two Cities Community Forum
WHEN: Monday 21 September 2015, 6:30pm
WHERE: Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst, Sydney
COST: FREE
INFO/RSVP: www.acon.org.au/preptwocities

Andrew Hamadanian, ACON Media & Communications Officer
E: ahamadanian@acon.org.au |  T: (02) 9206 2044  |  M: 0419 555 768